Vermont Business Magazine Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.

by Steph Yu The US Supreme Court’s decision last Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade has devastating effects on anyone who can get pregnant. Plain and simple, this ruling is a clear effort to assert control over women’s bodies and therefore our agency, our autonomy, and our freedom. Vermont has codified the right to reproductive health care in statute and will vote on a constitutional amendment to reinforce that in November. The governor issued a statement  on Friday in support of that right and the amendment. But none of that means that Vermonters are shielded from the consequences of this decision.

Vermont Business Magazine Cathedral Square has received a 2022 AARP Community Challenge Grant, which will be used to install a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at an existing crosswalk on Route 116 in Hinesburg near Kelley’s Field, a Cathedral Square and Evernorth affordable-housing community for older adults. Cathedral Square was one of just 260 grantees selected from 3,200 applications submitted nationwide.

Vermont Business Magazine Comcast today announced it will expand its fast, reliable and fiber-rich network to five new communities – Elmore, Eden, Hubberdton, Stratton and Wardsboro – and further into four communities it already serves – Jamaica, Sudbury, Wolcott and Morristown – as part of its latest project to make broadband available to more Vermonters. This network expansion delivers Comcast’s innovative portfolio of Xfinity and Comcast Business services, including residential broadband speeds up to 6 gigabits per second (Gbps) and business speeds up to 100 Gbps.

Vermont Business Magazine The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region is pleased to partner with the Stratton Foundation, a community-based non-profit organization caring about the health and welfare of children and families in Southern Vermont. Through the Stratton Foundation’s “Feed the Community” initiative and outreach in times of crisis, the agency received $2000 in gift cards for groceries and gas. The cards will be distributed to patients served in Arlington, Danby, Dorset, Manchester, and Sunderland.